


Eggnog And Mistletoe

by CosmicFaeryWings



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: And just a pinch of romance, Drinking, Elfiness, F/M, Festivities, First Day (Dragon Age), Friendship, Fun and frolicking, Mistletoe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-29
Updated: 2016-12-29
Packaged: 2018-09-13 05:50:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9109408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CosmicFaeryWings/pseuds/CosmicFaeryWings
Summary: It's First Day at skyhold and Inquisitor Lavellan is hosting her first major 'human' feast. She hopes everything will go well, but add Sera, Eggnog and Mistletoe to the mix and you've got a recipe for disaster... or perfection.





	

**Author's Note:**

> A one shot that came to mind while I was trying to write something else.  
> Please enjoy, and feel free to leave any comments, constructive criticisms or kudos (all are greatly appreciated).  
> Also, this work has not been edited. If you notice any mistakes, feel free to let me know.

Josephine stood in the middle of the main hall and looked about, smiling. After hours of work, and a lot of distractions caused by Sera and Varric (sometimes she really did think they were plotting against her) everything was in place for the First Day festivities the next day. All that was needed now was for the cooks to prepare the food, and for Krem to keep Iron Bull away from the eggnog long enough to let everyone else get some. No easy task, but she was sure the Chargers could come up with something if they put their minds to it. For now she was going to relax, and write replies to some of the more urgent messages the Inquisition had received… and do her best to avoid the mistletoe Dorian had insisted they hang up above almost every doorway.  

-x-

First Day broke clear and bright, with a fine mist hanging over the frozen river and the rising from the mountain peaks like smoke from a frozen fire. Climbing from her bed, Carina pulled one of the heavier blankets around her shoulders and walked out onto the balcony. She’d always been an early riser; up at the crack of dawn to hunt rabbits and wild pigs, or whatever else could be found for the clan’s food stores. And nothing had changed, except she now hunted Venatori, rebel mages and rogue templars.

Looking down from the balcony she could see the first of the expected dignitaries walking through the courtyard and Cullen in the training yard she’d had built, sparring with one of his men. She watched them for a minute, the clash of steel on steel ringing out clearly in the dawn air, before walking back into her room and finding clothes suitable for the feast. She didn’t put them on, not yet. What would be the point? The festivities weren’t due to start until early evening and something was bound to crop up in the meantime. It always did. Instead she dressed in her usual armour, her bow and quiver slung over her back.

-x-

“Lady Lavellan, this is Bann Trevelyan,” Josephine said, introducing Carina to one of the nobles.

Smiling warmly, Carina inclined her head in greeting. “You didn’t bring your family with you?” she enquired conversationally.

Josephine, who had spent a great deal of time teaching the elf ‘human’ etiquette (not that she lacked manners at all, just the experience of dealing with such people) smiled to herself and walked away. If only she could have the same success with Sera.

“My wife doesn’t like travelling in the winter months, and my youngest is about to take his vows to become a templar,” Bann Trevelyan answered cordially.

Carina thought immediately of Cullen (why wouldn’t she) and the struggle he was currently going through. Before the Inquisition templars had been nothing more than an inconvenience, and occasionally a threat. She hadn’t thought of them as people, much like a lot of humans didn’t think of her kind as people. Now she knew they had a purpose, other than hunting mages for pleasure, and she could see them for what they really were: men and women trained to fight, and tied to the Chantry. Like slaves, she supposed, leashed to their master.

“At a time like this?” she asked, the words out of her mouth before she could stop them.

“I’m sorry,” she added immediately afterwards. “It’s not my place to question.”

The Bann shook his head, laughing. “No apology needed,” he replied. “I’ve had my own reservations, especially given the current state of things. But my son is insistent. I’ve asked him to take some time… to really think things through, but I doubt he will. All I can do is pray that he doesn’t fall foul of these Venatori we’ve all been hearing so much about. Losing my oldest son at the Conclave was hard enough…”

“A lot of good people died there,” Carina agreed. “You have my sympathies.”

“And you have mine,” the Bann responded before excusing himself and heading over to talk to Leliana.

Watching him go, Carina offered a prayer up to the Creators. Asking them to keep his son safe.

-x-

“We need to liven this party up,” Sera grumbled drunkenly, clinging on to a mug of egg-nog as though her life depended on it. “I’ve seen walking dead more fun than this bunch of boring old farts.”

Sitting two seats over from Sera, Josephine buried her head in her hands and prayed for the ground to swallow her whole… _before_ anything even more embarrassing could happen. On the other side of Sera, Carina stifled a laugh. It wouldn’t be right for the Inquisitor to be seen giggling at such a remark, but Sera was right. The festivities weren’t half as jovial as she’d expected them to be. The conversation seemed to have petered out, or turned back to talk about the Breach. And the music?  Well that sounded like something more suited to a requiem than a celebration to mark the start of a new year. She didn’t know how humans usually celebrated, but she knew how her clan used to celebrate. They were gone now, but she could still uphold their traditions.

Pulling the mug from Sera’s hand, she dragged her to her feet and into the middle of the hall. Signalling to the assembled musicians that she wanted something more upbeat she took Sera’s hands in hers and pulled her, skipping and side stepping, all over the empty space that had been left by the tables. Soon both elves were laughing so much they had to stop and sit down again before they fell down.

“So you elves really do frolic?” Iron Bull boomed from somewhere behind them.

Glancing over her shoulder, Carina smiled. “Only the really ‘elfy’ ones,” she replied, nudging Sera teasingly in the ribs.

There’s had been an awkward friendship to start with. Sera found Carina too ‘elfy’ and Carina thought Sera was trying too hard to deny what she was. Over the months, however, they’d come to realise that there was more to the other than being too ‘elfy’ or not ‘elfy’ enough.

Iron Bull laughed heartily, swinging his tankard in the air in salute and spilling half his egg-nog in the process.

“What’s that hanging over your head?” Cole asked, his calm voice cutting through the qunari’s raucous laughter like a hot knife through butter.

As one, Carina and Sera looked up.

“Mistletoe!” Sera squealed, throwing herself at Carina and pressing a long, lingering kiss to her lips.

Pulling back she jumped to her feet. “I kissed Inquisitor!” she chanted in a sing-song voice as she dance around the room, keeping just out of Carina’s reach.

Still sitting in the middle of the floor, too stunned to move, Carina dissolved into laughter again.

-x-

Standing out on her balcony once the festivities had ended and all the nobles had retired to their rooms, Carina sighed wearily as a pair of arms wrapped around her waist and held her tight.

“You missed all the fun,” she said, her voice quiet as she watched the stars above the mountains.

“I know,” Cullen replied, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. “But someone had to make sure no-one attacked while you were otherwise indisposed. I did hear some tale about you, Sera and some mistletoe though.”

“And?” Carina asked, turning to look up at the former templar. “Does it bother you that she kissed me?”

Cullen shook his head. Their’s was a fairly new relationship, and who could say where it might go in the future, but he trusted Carina. He also knew Sera well enough to know she wasn’t the type to throw herself at someone she knew was unavailable, no matter who that person might be.

“I’m a little jealous,” he admitted. “Sera gets to kiss you in front of everyone and I’m left standing on the battlements watching out for any signs of attack.”

“Well we don’t have any mistletoe and the nobles have all gone off to bed, thank the Creators, but we have stars,” Carina whispered. “And we’ve still got a few more minutes left until First Day is over.”

Chuckling softly, Cullen leaned down and gently kissed the Inquisitor… his Inquisitor. “Happy First Day!” he said, sweeping her off her feet and carrying her back into the bedroom where he laid her down on the bed and kissed her again.

Lying there as she was, with the moonlight caressing her pale skin and dancing in her lilac eyes, she was beyond beautiful. The last time he had felt anything like what he was feeling now was back in the Tower, right before the blight started. But she’d been one of his charges and he’d been bound by the vows he’d taken as a templar.

“What’s wrong?” Carina asked, her eyes searching his questioningly.

“Nothing,” Cullen answered, pausing for a couple seconds before adding, “It’s just been a long time since…”

Carina smiled. “Then we’ll take things slowly. And we won’t do anything you’re not comfortable with.”

Cullen chuckled. “Isn’t the man supposed to say that to the lady,” he asked, leaning in to kiss her again as his fingers worked on the ties on her top.

“Perhaps,” Carina admitted, sighing softly as calloused fingers found smooth skin. “But I’m good at breaking the rules.”

“And which rules is this you’re breaking?” Cullen asked, planting a row of kisses along her collar bone.

“Number 314,” Carina dead-panned, eliciting a grin from the man now trailing a line of kisses down her stomach. “Or maybe 316, I can never remember.”

Cullen laughed, shaking his head. What he’d done to deserve having someone like the Inquisitor in his life, he didn’t know. And, for now at least, he wasn’t sure he wanted to. He had nothing to offer her, save for the man he was.

“Happy First Day,” he whispered again, shedding the last of his clothes and climbing under the covers with her.

“First Day ended twenty minutes ago,” Carina told him, moving back into his arms. “But who’s keeping track.”

 

 


End file.
